Magnesium cement article and method of making the same



UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE MAGNESIUM CEMENT ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Ernest Sands, Trenton, N. I.

No Drawing. Application June 5, 1939,

Serial No. 277,455

18 Claims. (CL 18-475) This invention relates to the production of ments or dyes, filling materials, and wax sofdecorative and structural materials from magteners.

water a substantial proportion of the material The Articles made from magnesium oxychloride articles produced have exceptional gloss, and cements have heretofore required expensive honwhen a suilicient quantity of waxlike substance ing and polishing treatments to produce suitable is added, they have exceptional water-resisting finishes thereon. These products, even after the qualities. polishing process, are very porous and are un- In the preparation of articles in accordance satisfactory for use in places where they may with this invention, a magnesium oxychloride come into frequent contact with water. To procement or paste is prepared by mixing a magvide greater water resistance, it has heretofore l5 nesium chloride solution having a density of been proposed to add waterproofing material about 26 to 32 Baum at 70 F, with a suitable such as asphalt and small quantities of parafiln quantity of magnesium oxide. The wax to be to the cement mixtures. Some of these addition mixed with this paste should be' reduced to a the article and when added in suil'iclent quanmately with that of the paste. This may be It is, therefore, an object of this invention to ing to be used and upon other factors hereinchloride cements without a honing operation. quantity, and diversity of the various ingredi:

Another object of this invention is to provide ents used, a multitude of pleasing effects. a method of uniformly mixing water-repelling When the wax is mixed with powdered or and gloss-producing ingredients into magnesium comminuated fillers, such as sawdust, powdered oxychloride cements at ordinary temperatures. 40 11111 or other fillers prior to the addition of A further object of this invention is to provide These eifeets are particularly noticeable if the terial, such as an amorphous wax, uniformly ina prior mixing with the wax, the mass is more contain, in addition to the constituents to form reinforcing ingredient. I such magnesium cement pastes, waxlike ma- It has been found that the magnesium cement terlal, coloring materials such as suitable pigpaste can be so made up that the mixture will composition in any suitable manner,

or it can be be delayed for point of about 140 mixed with a suitfor example, plaster of Paris, carbon te magnesium oxide, powmarble chips esi dered fiint. sawdust, wood floor,

The filling materials are reduced to the desired be added to the melted wax therewith to forms. submixture, or the filling with the wax or wax such as by procedure causes the particles to be impregnated or coated with the wax or wax composition, and thus there is less tendency for the particles to be wetted in the final composition. p

In order to produce articles having a relatively high gloss and which are. water-resistant, wax should be present in sufficient amount to substantially coat the particles of filler mixed therein and preferably to provide filling voids in the cement. To avoid having finely divided material present, the mixture may be allowed to cool and stirred. If a or aggregate has molten wax, the cooled product consists of finely divided solid particles coated with wax. By sifting or screening this product, any lumps present may be removed from the powder and these may be reduced in size by suitable means.

fineness and may and thoroughly mixed stantially homogeneous material may be coated spraying. This been added to the The wax-filler mixture may be added ina liquid condition, or it may be added to the oxychloride magnesium cement paste in a semiliquid or finely subdivided condition. If the homogeneous wax and filler mixture is fluid, it is preferable to combine it with the hot magnesium cement paste. In this case the paste is prepared by adding a magnesium chloride solution to 32 Baume heated to about the melting point of the wax to be used, to a sufficient quantity of magnesium oxide to produce quantity of wax should preferably by weight of magnesium cement paste but the amount added may be varied within rather wide limits. The wax mixture should have about the same consistency as the paste and should be added as soon as poss ble after the magnesium paste is prepared in order to bethoroughly incorporated before solidification of the' paste begin If the wax-filler mixture is in a finely subdivided state it may be added to the magnesium cement in the absence of heat and intimately mixed therewith to form a homogeneous mass. when a is made incorporating such finely divided material, the wax u should preferably be of the soft or amorphous variety meltin wax,

an excess .of wax for.

a creamy consistency. The

be about gloss producing mate- -before the reaction has short time such to facilitate the. distribu on of the wax during the mixing. Usually. however, combine the wax-filler mixture and the magnesium'cement paste in fluid condition.

The time at which solidification of a magnesium oxide-chloride cement begins is governed by the initial mixing temperature and the relative concentration of the magnesium chloride solution. with higher temperatures a more rapid set-up occurs. and at about 140 F. with a 32 Baum mag.- nesium chloride solution, the exothermic reaction between the chloride quite promptly and solidification begins in a as three or four minutes or so.

If articles areto be cast from the wax and having a temperature around has been found, however, when the wax and magnesium cement paste be allowed to solidify in lumps of any convenient size, and when these crushed moldparticles united, by the application of suitable pressure, to form solid articles having a desired shape. The molding powder should be used progressed sufficiently to prevent cohesion of the powder and more than a few hours delay after the formation of the paste is usually undesirable. The wax present in the molding powder serves to delay the reaction of the cement, and in some cases the powder may plied.

the above described be used after a day or so. of articles from the molding powder, a capable of applying considerable pressure, which may be from a few hundred pounds per square inch to several thousand pounds per square inch maybe used, and the products may be removed from the mold or die after a sufiicient pressure to produce cohesion of the powder has been ap- Upon removal from the press, the prodnets are sufficiently strong for shipment, but maximum strength is reached 7 only after an interval of two or three weeks. The die or mold used in forming the product from the molding powder should preferably be heated to about the melting point of the wax or waxllke material used. when the mold is heated in this'manner the wax appears to act both as a mold lubricant, which gives increased polish to the molded article, and as an agent which improves the cohesion of the ingredients.

Instead of producing a molding powder from press one may, while the mix is still fiuid, but after it becomes too viscous to allow the escape of entrapped air so as to produce smooth articlesin casting molds, pour themixture into temporary or precast' molds and allow, it to set up for a sumcient time to be removed from these molds. The precast molds may have rough finishes and be incapable of withstanding much pressure, and may serve only to produce a mass of paste which is the general shape or contour desired in the finished article. temporary mold may be inserted ln-a mold having suitable finish and the desired article produced'by the application of sufficient pressure. The preformed material should be pressed in the finished form before hardening has progressed to such an it is preferable to more concentrated solutions and and oxide commences into a powder that the-pow- In the preparation hot magnesium cement paste,

Such mass removed from the extent that fracture occurs. may be heated if desired.

When it is undesirable to produce magnesium The finish mold of the magnesium held much below 140 F. in order to avoid the rapid solidification and to permit the material to have sumcient fiowability to completely fill the mold even though it be of intricate design.

By adding a softener,

paste should be erably should contain any forcing purposes. The consistencies of the wax, oil, and filler cream and petroleum industry.

Magnesium oxychloride 115 F. should be the magnesium oxychloride paste to produce grain When a 32 Baum magnesium chloride solution is used in the preparation of the magnesium paste, the magnesium oxide should constitute may have a concentration between about 18 and about 35 Baum, but a concentration of 26 Baum is preferred in most instances.

If, in the preparation hot paste with 32 v solution, solidification beginsmore rapidly than preferably not be sufliclent to reduce the magneconcentration below about 26 wax, and softener.

When small amounts of filler,

such as plaster of Paris, magnesium chloride, Fl

orentine cement,

of the filling materials be mixed directly into the giagnesium paste even though grain effects are esired.

for outdoor use, a larger quantity of wax or wax and oil mixture Purposes.

an increase in g1 crease in wax content until a quantityv equivalent is desirable for waterproofing with'the wax or when a petrolatum is corr -used. The preferred quantity and softener mixture about 4 or 5% of the cations.

' volume illustrate Magnesium oxide Powdered flint .oulhlys to about 20% of the weight of the maghezi um been added. a

oilalsoactsas ly mixture or petrolatum is the ma m p than of the non-dryin oil and wax mixture or more than.15% of a petrolatum or similar wax have an oily feel and'may be undesirable for some mixture about may be added to mailof the products, these materials tends to prevent good cohesion of the cement. when the wax amounts to less than magnesium cement the products, while somewhat water-repellent, are

Articles having more purpose The wax or in amounts equivalent to as.

' magnesium chloride not guiilciently'water-resistant for certain appli- Example 1 exa ples in the preparation of magnesium cement articles according to this invention:

' Q The following stirred into the melted wax to produce a creamy mass. The magnesium oxide is mixed with sumcient magnesium chloride of about 32 Baum. heated to about 155 F. to produce a magnesium oxychloride of a creamy consistency. As soon as possible after the preparation of this magnesium cream, the molten wax, flint. mixture, which has about the the magnesium oxychloride,

same consistency as is rapidly agitated into a suitable conwhich parts are by material is then poured into a suitable mold and allowed to set for a period of at least seven or eight hours to produce articles having high water resistitn cc.

Example '3 a Parts Magnesium oxide Spent fullers earth (combined with organic I matter and obtained as a residue from petroleum illtrations) Oil and wax or'petrolatum; 4 Naphthalene 2 An homogeneous mixture of the'oil, wax, and naphthalene, melting at about 100 F. was prepared by mixing oil and naphthalene with the melted wax; This was stirred into a paste prepared by mixing a suitable quantity of Baum solution heated to 115 F. and containing a fullcrsearth with the magnesium oxide to produce. a creamy mixture. Articles such as clothes receptacles, etc., cast from this material, have a h naphthalene odor which persists for a relatively long period of time. The spent fullers earth being of an oily nature is not wetted by the magnesium oxychloride cement, with the result that a pleasing mottled eifect is produced.

1 Parts Magnesium oxide 50 Wax (melting point 140 F.) 30

Plaster of Parls 10 Powdered flint 10 a The powdered flint and the plaster orParis are andplaster of Paris tainer and allowed to set for a period of ten or ilfteen minutes in order to form a lumpy mass. This is promptly crushed into a molding powder which. is placed in a suitable press to produce articles of high gloss and in which substantially all voids are fllledwith the wax. By adding suitable coloring materials or pigments, examples of which are aluminum oxides dyed with the various organic dyes orother pigments. a variety of effects can be produced.

Example 2 Parts 60 tirred into the magnes um paste.

Various odoriferous materials, such as perfumes, aromatic oils, etc., may be substituted for the naphthalene in the above mix to produce a variety of materials having distinctive odors.

'- Example 4 Parts Wax (high melting point) 25 Talc 10 Powdered flint 30 Magnesium oxide 50 Pigment coloring material 3 Plaster of Paris 10 The tale and flint and pigment are mixed into melted wax and allowed to cool while it is constantly stirred, in order -to produce a powder. This powder is then screened through a 100- mesh screen and heated to the melting point of the wax. The mixture is then added to a hotmagnesium oxychloride paste prepared by adding sufllcient 32 Baum magnesium chloride solution heated to 155 F. to the magnesium oxide to produce a creamy consistency. The plaster of Paris should preferably be mixed with the magnesium chloride solution before its addition to the magnesium oxide. The material is cast into precast or temporary molds and allowed to set. As soon as the materials can be removed bodily from the temporary molds, they are pressed into a finished mold under considerable pressure such as 1000 to 2000 pounds per square inch. The articles removed from the mold are suillciently strong to be used immediately and have a pleasing appearance with a high gloss and are impervious to cold water.

oxide is s parately mixed with g Example 5 g Parts Magnesium oxide 60 Amorphous wax Aceto Flint -4. 48 Sawdust 2 The amorphous wax, softened with acetone, is mixed with the flint and sawdust to produce a mixture having. a creamy consistency. This mixture is stlrredinto magnesium oxide-chloride The (s paste prepared by mixing the magnesium oxide with a suflicient quantity of 26 Baum magforming the material into the desired shape by nesium chloride solution to produce a paste havthe application of sufficient pressure.

ing a consistency of the wax mixture. The ma- The process for producing articles from water resistance.

O her s ita le ll n materials such as magterial into the desired shape by the application nesium carbonate, wood flour, marble chips. 01' suflicient pressure.

chips, maybe substituted for those used in the magnesium oxychloride cements, which com.

above examples. Magnesium carbonate, in parrise forming a paste comprising water. magticular, when added in place of the filler in the n iu oxid and agn sium chloride 90 and the like. mold, inserting it in a permanent mold, and

The products produced according to this in forming the material into the desired shape by vention are water-resistant, have a pleasing finthe application of sufllcient prmsure.

products containing a wax softened with an oil. forming a paste comprising water, a wax, magwhile havinganatural satin finish," may be quicknesium oxide and magnesium chloride, allowing ly and easily polished by rubbing their surfaces the material to solidify, crushing the solidified with a soft cloth. Since the wax is distributed material to form a molding powder, and forming uniformly throughout the body of the material the molding powder into an article of the desired the polish may be easily renewed even though shape by the application of sumcient pressure.

the original surfaces were abraded. 8. The process for producing articles from It will be seen that, a waxor waxlike material magnesium oxychloride cements, which comprises may be mixed with pigments with or without -melt an unemulsified wax, ad a filling fillers, and furnished as a composition for addimaterial to said melted wax to form a cream. tion to magnesium orwchloride cements. mixing said cream with a paste which is heated e term wax is intended to include material above the melting point of said wax and comof a imilar nature such as chlorinated naphthaing magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride,

which are substantially inert in the presence of oxychloride' and wax to solidify, and then formmagnesium oxychlorlde cement. 4o ing the material in a suitable mold by the appl It is obvious that various modifications may cation of pressure. be made in the above described processes with- 9. The process for producing articles from out departing from the principles of the invenmagnesium oxychloride cements, which comtion herein set forth, and it is my intention not prises melting a wax, adding a filling material to to limit the appended claims except as may be said melted wax to form a cream, mixing said necessitated by the prior art. 7 cream with a Paste which is heated above the What I claim is: v I

1. In a process for producingarticles from e ium Oxid magnesium chloride, an Water magnesium oxychloride cements, the steps which allowing the hot paste of magnesium oxychloride comprise preparing an unemulsified wax material 0 and x o l ify n mporary molds until it paste, prepared by mixing magnesium oxide mag- Pressurenesium chloride with water. The process for producing articles from 2. In a process for producing articles from magnesium Oxychl l 66111811. which magnesium oxychloride cement, the steps which p is melting an unemulsifled wax, adding a fillcomprise melting a wax t ri mixing filler ing material to said melted wax to form a cream,

mixture, in the absence or an emulsifying agent, above the melting point of said wax and comprisnesium 'oxychloride cements. which comprises 5 forming a hot aqueou paste of magnesium oxide sill 11. A proc to begin and then forming the solidified paste magnesium oxychloride cements, which comin a mold with the application of external presprises preparing a mixture of wax and oil, mixsum 7o ing said mixture, in the absence of an emulsifying 4. The process for producing articles from gent, with anzaqueous paste comprising maged shape by the application of sufllcient prese.

ess for producing articles from interior and in nesium cements,

12. A process for producing articles from magnesium oxychloride cements, which comwater.

13. A process for producing articles from magnesium oxychloride cements, which comprises preparing a mixture or unemulsifled wax and wax softener, combinins a filling material with said mixture to form a cream, and mixing said cream into an aqueous paste of magnesium chloride, magnesium oxide, and water, said cream and said paste having substantially the same consistencies.

14. A magnesium oxychloride cement article having unemulsiiled wax and mineral oil substantially uniformly dispersed throughout its sumcient quantity to improve the polish and water-repellance of said article.

15. A magnesium oxychlorlde cement article ulsiiied wax substantially unihavingan em formlydispersed throughout its interior, said wax being present in amounts equal to between. about 4 and 40% of the magnesium nesium chloride,

oxide, magand water contained in said article.

16. A process for producing articles from magwhlch comprises coating a filler with a wax, incorporting the coated filler in a magnesium cement, preparing a molding powder from said cement mixture, placing the powder in a mold in a condition that it will coalesce only under pressure, and applying pressure to the material to cause it to take the shape of the conflgurations oi! the mold.

17. The method of producing articles from magnesium oxychloride cement compositions, which comprises forming a paste or magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, and water, and mixmg with the paste an unemulsifled wax having a consistency at the temperature of the paste substantially corresponding to the consistency of the paste, whereby a uniform. homogeneous mixture of the wax and the magnesium oxychloride cement paste may be obtained in the absence of an emulsifying agent.

18. The method of producing articles from magnesium oxychioi'ide cement compositions, which comprises forming a paste of magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, and water, and mixing with the paste amunemulsified wax having a consistency at the temperature oi! the paste substantially corresponding to the consistency of the paste, said wax being present in the amount 0! 4% to 40% of said paste, whereby a uniiorm, homogeneous mixture of the wax and the magnesium oxychloride cement paste may be obtained in the absence of an emulsifying agent.

ERNEST BANDS. 

